Universal Commits To Hiring More Women By Becoming First Major Studio To Join #4PercentChallenge

Universal has become the first major studio to join the #4percentchallenge, launched by Time’s Up and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The initiative, announced at Sundance by Nina Jacobson, Amy Schumer, Angela Robinson, Paul Feig, and Franklin Leonard, sees participants pledging to hire more female directors, particularly women of color, in the next 18 months. Tessa Thompson and Kerry Washington have already committed to the challenge. Universal tweeted Tuesday, “Universal Pictures’ Peter Cramer, Focus Features’ Peter Kujawski and DreamWorks Animation’s Margie Cohn proudly join their colleagues throughout the industry in accepting the #TIMESUP #4PercentChallenge.” The #4percentchallenge is based on a recent study that shows only four percent of top-grossing films from 2007-2018 were directed by women. Time’s up for that!